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Saturday, July 31, 2010

The ALP has a section of their website called the Think Tank.Here members may suggest policy ideas, even discus and help refine them.

The tone of the site seems polite enough, perhaps surprisingly so.

here is a direct cut and paste :
Green Jobs and a Competitive Advantage in Renewable Technology
by Obutters from Sydney , NSW at Thursday, 15 July 2010

Australia should have a goal to foster a competitive advantage in developing renewable energy technology and to have the world's most skilled 'green' workforce.

The industrialisation of the world's most populous countries - India and China, will put an enormous premium on our natural resources, but also on alternative energy sources.

We keep talking about the 'Green Jobs' of the Future - but they are not going to come out of the ether with a market-knows-all approach only.

The Government needs to take an active role in helping our best and brightest people to develop the new technologies to provide the foundations for the jobs and new industries of the future through, (for instance):

- Coordinating Industry and education institutions to establish education and training courses to train and develop skilled workers.
- Establish special 'green economy' technology zones in coal dependent parts of the country (i.e. the NSW hunter, Latrobe Valley in VIC) to give incentive to the best and brightest in the world to work and establish their businesses in those places likely to be hit by the shift to renewables. Special tax concessions should be given.
-Keynesian style government investment in nation building solar, wind, water projects. Funding should be based on fostering local skills, technology and innovation.

These policies would prepare the economy for the inevitable shift to emissions trading. When the global market for carbon is eventually established, whether it is 5 years or 25 years, By implementing these policies now - Australia can get ahead of the curve and capitalise on the future global demand for clean energy, much in the same way as we have benefited through our natural endowment in primary resources.

Great stuff.
At least its a well thought out idea, and quite well put.
Perhaps this is the sort of thing the Citizens 150 panel will look into ?

Still no point hanging about while we all chat ... lets get on with it Julia and Penny.
(Please, Pretty please :)